Snuffer assembly for lighter wicks



June 13, 1950 J. s. GREENE SNUFFER ASSEMBLY FOR LIGHTER WICKS Filed Oct. 11, 1948 IN V EN TOR.

Patented June 13, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Joseph S. Greene, North Attleboro, Mass., assignor to Evans Case 00., a corporation of Massachusetts Application October 11, 1948, Serial No. 53,976

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a snufier assembly for the wick of a lighter.

It is usual in the extinguishing of the flame of a lighter to provide some sort of an arm which will swing down to cover the wick, and by excluding oxygen from the wick, snufi out the wick. In the construction of such snufling means an arm is usually provided for causing a cup to swing into the proper position for the snufiing of the wick. The cup is assembled to the arm by means of welding which requires that such assembly be provided before the arm is finished. Finishing usually occurs by tubbing the arm and its cup in shot and frequently the cup becomes detached from the arm or shot gets stuck in the cup and considerable manual labor and trouble is required for clearing this situation.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an assembly of snuffer cup and arm which may take place after the finishing has occurred.

Another object of this invention is to provide an arrangement which when assembled will be maintained in assembled position without the need of welding.

Another and more specific object of the invention is to provide an arrangement so that the arm and cup may be assembled by merely manually pressing the two together.

Another object of the invention is to provide a snufler assembly to better close over a wick and seal the same against evaporation of fluid fuel.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the arm and cup assembled;

Figure 2 is a central sectional view thereof;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken at right angles to Figure 2 through the cup and its arm;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the assembly;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the arm alone and Figure 6 is an elevation of the cup alone.

In proceeding with this invention, I strike up an arm in generally hollow form having top, side, and end walls and so deflect inwardly the side Walls that there will be a firm frictional grip on a cylindrical cup which may be inserted into the arm. The cup is then separately provided and after both the arm and cup are finished the two may be pressed together to be maintained in assembled position by the friction fit between them.

2 upon some pivot to be actuated by a finger piece which is usual and of known construction.

A cup designated generally I5 is of generally cylindrical form having side walls It and an end wall ll. The side walls are beveled as at l8 as shown in Figure 3 or in Figure 2. The outer curved surface of this cup is of a shape to fit the inner curved surface of the end and side walls l2 and I3 as shown more particularly in Figure 4 where there is a snu fit as at 20 between these surfaces. The side walls l2 instead of being tangent to the curvature of the end wall are deflected inwardly as at 2| (see Figure 4) so as to extend about the cylindrical surface of the cup and embrace the same over an area greater than a half of this cylindrical surface, thus preventing movement of the cup away from the end wall l3 of the arm.

By this arrangement a snug frictional fit is provided between the outer surface of the cup and the inner curved surface of the end and side walls so that when the two are pressed together, the same will remain in assembled relation.

The curvature of the top wall from the end is as shown in Figure 2 such that the end portion of the cup will engage this curve of the top as at 23 so as to limit the insertion of the cup.

The friction fit of the cup in the arm permits of some movement of the cup in the arm and thus such an arrangement that the cup will engage the boss throu h which the wick extends and align itself so that its edge provides a good seal to prevent the escape of volatile liquid fuel. The friction fit is sufiiciently snug so that the cup will be maintained in assembled position.

I claim:

A snuffer assembly for a lighter wick comprising an inverted cylindrical cup having an end wall, an arm having top and end walls engaging the end and cylindrical walls of the cup, and side walls extending from the top and end walls of the arm and on the arc of the cylindrical cup and struck inwardly so as to embrace additional portions of the cylindrical wall of the cup which serves as the only means to frictionally hold the same assembled therewith.

JOSEPH S. GREENE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,262,806 Kempf et al. Nov. 18, 1941 2,418,295 Florman Apr. 1, 1947 2,445,513 Campos July 20, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 570,223 Great Britain June 27, 1945 

